Picture-exhibitor



(No Model.) v

R. E. HANSEN. PICTURE EXHIBITOR.

No. 540,660. Patented June 11, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

RUDOLPH EDWARD HANSEN, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

' PICTURE-EXHIBITOR.

SPEQIFICAT IOnfo rming part of Letters Patent No. 540,660, dated June 11, 1895. I

Application fil dMarch 27,1895. Serial No. 543,322. (No model.)

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH EDWARD HANSEN, of Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have ,invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture-Exhibitors, of which'the following is a -specification.

This invention is designed to exhibit a nu mber of pictures consecutively, While protecting them from dust and handling.- It is particularly applicable to the exhibition ofphotographs, as a substitute for the ordinary book-formed album, it is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described and it is defined in the appended'claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of an exhibitor embodying my invention. .Fig. 2 is a front view of same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the casing of the exhibitor. Fig. 4. is a perspective representation of the central transverse partition of the casing. Fig. 5 is a cross-section through said partition. Fig. 6 is a perspective representation of one of the frames used to hold the photographs or other pictures. Fig. 7 is a diagram of a metal strip which is used to form a slotted guide for a sideof the frame. Fig. 8 shows a guide bent to proper form.

The casing l is an oblong receptacle having openings at its ends for the reception of the pictures to be exhibited. The end openings are provided with doors, or lids, as 2, which preferably slide endwise in their opening and closing motions. the ends of the casing is a transverse partition 5 which divides the receptacle into two equal compartments. The partition is slightly narrower than the internal thickness of the re ceptacle and it is so placed that passage ways are left on each side of the partition. The passage ways are large enough to permit the passage of one picture frame, and no more, at

one time. The casing is swung on trunnions that are journaled in posts, or other supports, as 3, and the pictures are exhibited by turn ing the casing on the trunnions and toward the observer, or in the direction indicated by curved arrows in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5.

, Gravity stops, or catches, as 6, are swung one from the upper rear edge and one from the lower front edge of partition 5, the de- Midway between scription applying when the casing is in a vertical, or approximately vertical, position, and of course the relative positions of the stops are alternately reversed asthe casing is rotated. The stops are preferably in the form of bails, made of wire, and bent as shown. The

partition is recessed to bring the surface of the bails flush with the surface of the partition, under proper circumstances, and staples, or eye bolts, as 8, provide bearings for the ends of the bails. The arms, or outer extensions, of the bails are of proper length to close the passage ways between the partition and .the sides of the casing, and the bails are so swung that, by the action of gravity, each way is closed while it is in the rear of the casing, with relation to the observer, as indicated by slotted in their sides to admit the pictures, as

shown at 10 in Fig. 6, and their ends are solid, 11. e., not slotted. The sides of the frames are held straight by means of metal binding strips 9, and said strips form guides that facilitate the 'slidingmotion of the frames, which is hereinafter explained, and protect the frames from wear incident to such sliding. The binding strips are made by cutting a piece of metal, of proper size and shape, on the solid lines shown in Fig. 7, bending on the dotted lines to the form shown in Fig. 8, and applying to the slotted sides of the frame with sufficient pressure to insure permanent connection and flush, or nearly flush surfaces. In applying the strips to the frames it is best to hold the slots from closing byinserting a strip of metal of the desired thickness and leaving it in the slot while pressure is applied. The interior of the casing and the thickness of the frames bear such relation to each other that a certain number of frames will loosely fill a compartment of the casing. One compartment is completely filled and the other is supplied with the same number, less one. The pictures are As the casing is rotated, in the mannerdescribed, the front, upper frame slides down ward through the open passage way, exposing the pictures in the frame next behind and leaving the lower compartment completely filled. Then as the rotation proceeds the front bail swings gradually over the frame just fallen and, by the time the casing has reached a horizontal position, the then lower passage wayis effectually closed. This condition continues as the full compartment rises and the frame last to fall swings into the upper, rear position, held from back motion by the bail extended across the passage way beneath it At this juncture another front, upper frame slides downward into the lower compartment, and the operation proceeds indefinitely.

The utility of the bails is made apparent by supposing them not to exist; in which case there would always be a liability of the rear ascending frame to slide backward through the rear passage way and disarrange the lower frames sufficiently to prevent the front, upper frame from sliding down. The frames slide endwise and sometimes fall with force suflicient to displace the pictures if they were slipped through slots in the ends of the frames, but the construction described precludes this.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A picture exhibitor comprising a casing journaled at its sides, a transverse partition dividing the easing into two end compartments and leaving space on both sides for the passage of a picture frame,and gravity stops on the partition adapted to close each passage way as it swings to the rear and to open it as it swings to the front, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A picture exhibitor comprising a casing journaled at its sides, a transverse partition dividing the casing into two end compartments and leaving space on both sides for the passage of a picture frame, and wire bails piv' otally connected one with the front of the lower surface of the partition and the other with the rear of the upper surface of the partition, when the casing is in a vertical or approximately vertical, position, said bails bc in'g each adapted to rest against the partition, one after the other, and close the rear space, substantially as set forth.

3. A picture frame for rotary exhibitors having slots in its sides for the admission of pictures, and metallic guides for the slots composed each of a single strip slotted longitudinally and folded on opposite sides of the slot to embrace the sheets of the frame, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RUDOLPH EDYVARD HANSEN.

Attest:

C. M. ATTERBURY, J. M. GRAY. 

